The Holocaust survivor that saved 40 Americans in a Korean death camp

Holocaust Survivor’s Heroic Mission in Chinese Prison Camp

The National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, Texas holds the story of a Holocaust survivor who saved forty American soldiers in a Korean War prison camp.

Corporal Tibor Rubin was captured in 1950 and sent to a Chinese POW camp called “Death Valley. ” The Chinese offered to send him back to communist Hungary, but Rubin refused, saying he was American.

He used survival skills from Mauthausen concentration camp to keep his fellow prisoners alive through maggot therapy, makeshift medicine, and pure determination.

Here’s the incredible story behind the museum’s “More Than a Medal” exhibit featuring Rubin’s heroic mission.

Tibor Stood His Ground Against Overwhelming Odds

Corporal Tibor Rubin fired a .30 caliber machine gun at Unsan on October 30, 1950, after three gunners got hit. He kept shooting until he ran out of bullets, even as Chinese soldiers rushed his position.

Though badly hurt, Rubin fought on, slowing down the enemy just enough for the 8th Cavalry Regiment to pull back.

When his ammo ran out, Chinese troops caught and imprisoned him.

The Long Walk to a Nightmare Camp

Chinese soldiers made Rubin and other captured Americans walk for miles through freezing land.

They ended up at Pukchin Mining POW Camp, a place so bad Americans called it “Death Valley.” Guards threw Rubin and about 40 other soldiers into a hole in the ground.

Camp staff later moved them to Pyoktong, where North Korean forces ran things before the Chinese took over.

Many men died during this rough trip, their bodies left in the snow.

Life Hung by a Thread in Death Valley

The camp barely had any food. Medical care didn’t exist. Guards treated prisoners like animals. Cold, hunger, and sickness killed 30 to 40 men every day.

Rubin later talked about how everything smelled of death and pain. Most American soldiers lost all hope through these times.

No one wanted to help others as everyone focused on staying alive. Bodies stacked up faster than they could be buried, and living prisoners grew weaker each day.

The Enemy Offered Him Freedom, But He Refused

Camp staff soon learned Rubin came from Hungary. They often told him he could go to communist Hungary, which was under Soviet control at the time.

Each time, Rubin said no. Though not yet an American citizen, he told his captors he was American and would stay with his fellow soldiers.

He chose to stay in awful conditions rather than leave the men who needed him.

His Time in Nazi Camps Became His Secret Weapon

“It was hardest on the Americans who weren’t used to this,” Rubin said later, “but I had a heck of a basic training from the Germans.”

His fourteen months in Mauthausen concentration camp made him “somewhat of a professional prisoner. ”

Compared to what the Nazis did at Mauthausen, Rubin claimed the Chinese camp felt like “a cakewalk.” He knew how to stay alive when others couldn’t.

Night After Night, He Risked Death for Food

Almost every night for a year and a half, Rubin snuck out of the prison camp. He broke into Chinese and North Korean supply buildings, food storage areas, and gardens.

Each time he left, he knew guards would shoot him if he got caught. Yet night after night, he made these risky trips, coming back with whatever food he could carry.

His fellow prisoners began to count on these midnight raids to live.

He Shared Everything and Cared for the Dying

Leo Cormier, another POW, remembered how Rubin split stolen food equally among all the prisoners. He never kept extra for himself despite the huge risks he took.

Cormier watched Rubin spend whole nights picking lice off men too weak to move. He carried sick soldiers to the toilets when they couldn’t walk.

He nursed the wounded when no one else would help. His constant care and stolen food became the only hope for dozens of men who otherwise would have died.

Maggots and Goat Pills Saved Lives When Medicine Couldn’t

James Bourgeois nearly lost his arm to infection until Rubin stepped in. “At one time my wounds got so infected he put maggots in them to prevent gangrene,” he recalled later.

This method, which Rubin learned during his time at Mauthausen, saved both Bourgeois’s arm and his life. For another dying soldier, Rubin collected goat droppings, rolled them into pills, and told the man they were medicine.

The soldier took these “pills” three times daily and slowly got better, never knowing the truth about his treatment.

Faith Guided His Actions in the Darkest Hours

Rubin called his lifesaving efforts “mitzvahs,” good deeds in the Jewish tradition. His religious faith pushed him to help others even when it put his own life at risk.

“Helping his fellow men was the most important thing to him,” other prisoners said.

He gave regular pep talks to boost spirits, reminding the men that their families waited for them back home.

His strong belief that they could survive gave strength to men who had given up all hope.

Forty Men Lived Because of His Courage

Camp survivors credit Rubin with saving at least 40 American soldiers who otherwise would have died.

Leo Cormier, who was “nothing but flesh and bones” at one point, said Rubin saved his life. The death toll at Camp 5 reached nearly 1,600 U.S. soldiers in 1951 alone.

Against these terrible odds, Rubin gave men the courage to keep living when many others didn’t make it. His actions created a small pocket of humanity.

Freedom Finally Came Through Prisoner Exchange

In late April 1953, Chinese forces participated in Operation Little Switch, a prisoner exchange program.

Rubin returned to the United States along with other sick and wounded POWs.

Thanks to his extraordinary efforts, 35 to 40 fellow soldiers came home too, men who likely would have died without his help.

Years later, Rubin reflected on his actions: “When you save a life, you save maybe a nation.
Who knows who he become?”

Visiting Tibor Ruben artifacts at National Medal of Honor Museum

The National Medal of Honor Museum at 1861 AT&T Way in Arlington displays Tibor Rubin artifacts that tell his incredible POW survival story.

General admission costs $60, with veterans paying $50 and active military free with ID. The museum opens daily 10am to 5pm except major holidays.

You can book VIP guided tours ahead of time for expert insights. Some exhibits like the Dustoff Experience need timed entry tickets.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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